| FOOD PAIRINGS |

BY MELISSA DOWLING

Fall is football season , and there ’ s nothing like a few beers and some tasty dip to enjoy while watching the game . You can ’ t go wrong with classic sour cream and onion dip with potato chips . Salsa and / or guacamole with tortilla chips hits the spot as well .

But if you want to raise your game-day snacks game , try an elevated beer cheese dip , such as this recipe courtesy of the Italian beer brand Peroni . Served with toasted ciabatta bread , this Lemon Artichoke Dip is an easy and elegant appetizer for football games or any fall gatherings . It naturally pairs with beer , particularly European-style lager and lends an unexpected Italian flavor to the occasion .

Not a beer fan ? Try pairing the dip with a beer cocktail , such as a “ Beergroni ,” which incorporates pale lager into the classic Negroni . ( For more on Beertails , see page 14 .)

PERONI NEGRONI ½ oz . Bitter Italian aperitif ( such as Campari ) ½ oz . Gin ½ oz . Sweet vermouth 6 oz . Peroni beer

Pour all ingredients in a tall beer glass . Fill with ice . Garnish with orange twist .

LEMON ARTICHOKE DIP WITH CIABATTA ( SERVES 4-6 ) 8 oz . Softened cream cheese ½ cup Sour cream 2 tbsps . Mayonnaise 2 tbsps . Fresh lemon juice ( juice of one large lemon ) 2 tbsps . Lemon zest ( zest of same large lemon ) 14-oz . can Artichoke hearts , drained , roughly chopped and squeezed dry 1 ¼ cups Freshly shredded parmesan cheese 1 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese ¼ cup Peroni beer ( or other pale lager ) Salt and pepper ½ tsp . Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper ( optional ) ½ cup Roughly chopped basil leaves 8-10 slices Ciabatta 2 tsps . Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 ° F degrees . In a medium-sized mixing bowl , add cream cheese , sour cream , mayo , lemon juice and lemon zest . Stir together with a wooden spoon until smooth . Add drained artichoke hearts , 1 cup of parmesan ( save the additional ¼ cup for later ), mozzarella , beer , salt and pepper , Aleppo pepper , and stir until well combined . Fold in basil .

Transfer mixture into a shallow quart-sized , oven-safe crock . Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of parmesan over the top of dip and place in the oven . Cook for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly .

While dip is cooking , cut ciabatta into thin slices and again in half . Using either a pastry brush or your fingertips , lightly coat both sides of bread with olive oil and place on a baking sheet . Add salt and pepper to taste .

Bake in 350 ° F oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted . ( Tip : you may want to place in the oven during the last 10 minutes of the dip ’ s cook time to make sure both come out warm and fresh .)

12 | FALL 2021 • CHEERS @ HOME WWW . CHEERSONLINEATHOME . COM